Family time with the Faircloughs

Gemma bakes ginger bread

Heathers 'toxins' !

Ian and Judy on the veranda

Sunset on the veranda

Ailsa wins state competition and gets her name in lights !

Surfers Paradise

National Steve Irwin day at Australia Zoo !

Ailsa and Ian BBQing

Koby

Home at last ...
Well my official Australian home anyway ... After to many days on the road and having half the contents of my backpack stolen from a washing line at a hostel in Broome I was rather glad that most of the the Northern territory's was burning or flooded which meant i was forced to change plans and head earlier than expected to the Fairclough family home in Brisbane. The easiest way to explain my relationship with the Faircloughs is that Ian (the man of the house) is my dads best mate from days of old he emigrated after meeting and later marrying a beautiful white witch(Judy)from Australia, they then went on to have two little girls (now big) Gemma and Ailsa and a little dog called Koby... I always get the warmest of welcomes and am treated instantly as part of the family when I make my obligatory stop in the land of oz its the best tonic ever !

Judy took one look at me and instantly offered to put some washing on followed by an early but much needed Christmas gift of a detox programme involving electricity water and massage which aids the removal of 'toxins' well i had become extremely toxic due to to much wine, beer and bad food and late nights...the toxins are removed through your feet...check out my toxic waste...shortly after the treatment the local area was designated as contaminated land and sealed off ! On a serious note through this really did work I had the best nights sleep ever and felt generally wonderful...god bless the white witch !

So whilst in Queensland I headed to surfers paradise and checked out the surf, stopped by at Steve Irwins place on what was the first national Steve Irwin day, caught up in Noosa with Brenda and Deanne the girls i met at the end of the India trip. The rest of the time I had a relax on the veranda with a nice cuppa tea, went to see Ailsa at school during an evening performance of the best from the extended Engligh class (also formally introduced to her boyfriend Alex !), lunched and spent time philosophising with Gemma about the importance of early years education around the world.

Big thank yous to the Faircloughs for having me and ferrying me about and generally making me smile. PS just in case i get done by trade descriptions or offend ... Judy is not really an official white witch she does however have a no bull natural remedy for almost every ailment !